My dog is acting strange and hiding. Is it stress or a medical issue?

That’s hard to say, if only Baby Girl could talk! Those are all signs of anxiety but licking the lips and hiding can also indicate an upset stomach. Monitor her eating very closely and watch for any changes. Also watch her for any vomiting, diarrhea or changes in her water intake. If you see anything that appears to be illness, make sure to have her seen by her veterinarian. There are also medications that she can take to help with anxiety and it may be worthwhile to call her doctor. Anxious dogs often respond well to exercise and I recommend a 30 minute vigorous play session every day or a long walk. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi. Poor Colby. It definitely sounds like something is wrong, she may not feel well, have pain somewhere, not reacting to stress well, and much more. I'd get her checked out tomorrow. They will do an exam make sure everything is ok on outside. I would have them check her anal glands as well. Sometimes when that are full, it can make them act very odd. If the exam and anal glands are normal, then lab work and x-rays would be next, hope she feels better soon.

It's hard to know if Gunner is having emotional issues or is experiencing a medical problem. I recommend a complete examination and some basic diagnostics like blood work and radiographs. If all these things are normal, you may want to investigate anti-anxiety medication like Lorazepam. And check out this great behavior website: dogstardaily.com for help with anxiety. Good luck!

Ruling out an underlying health issue such as pain or illness is always a good first step when your pet experiences a sudden behavior change. As seven is the start of the senior years, it is possible there is some pain from laying in the bed, or arthritis causing problems. if Milou checks out health, trying to find if there is a pattern to the "attacks" may be helpful- does it happen the same time every night? Same spot? Same triggers? Is the neighbor arriving home in a noisy car at that time, etc? This may help you figure out what is triggering it so you can make some adjustments- IE moving the bed somewhere quieter, making sure your dog is fast asleep prior to that time, getting out excess energy before bed, feeding a treat to keep the stomach from becoming too empty and causing growling/discomfort, etc. If you can't seem to find any pattern at all, taking a video of the even to bring to your vet or a local trainer may be helpful in better identifying what is going on, and finding a solution.

If you caught him chewing on something today, my concern is that he chewed up something else at an earlier time and may have a foreign body or toxicity. Stress can certainly cause vomiting and diarrhea in some situations but in a puppy that is used to being left alone, I am more concerned about foreign body, parasites or viral disease. If he is active and alert you can feed small frequent meals of his regular dog food (just a handful at a time every couple of house) if no vomiting then continue to monitor. But if he is depressed, won't eat or vomits up what he does eat then I strongly recommend a vet visit today. I hope Budleigh is feeling better soon. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Peeing in the house, barking excessively, soft stool and drinking a lot could all be caused by stress/anxiety, for which non -prescription VetriScience daily Composure chews (available on chewy.com) may help, however a consult with your veterinarian re: Prozac (which takes 3 weeks to take effect) or an alternate anti-depressant /anti-anxiety medication or the help of a trainer may be needed. It would be safest however to schedule an appointment with your veterinarian for an exam, full screening bloodwork, a urinalysis and fecal exam to rule out parasites as the cause of the soft stool or renal disease/diabetes as the cause of the increased drinking. Your vet can also prescribe/send home metronidale which is an anti-inflammatory antibiotic to resolve the diarrhea +/- probiotics to help with the soft stool. Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If he is fine otherwise then this is likely just a transient change. It may be due to something that has changed in the environment. Please check for anything that may be causing him to be different such as new tall objects in the house that may be causing to be scared. Best of luck!